Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett wants to find 'intangibles' in draft prospects; how has he done so far?

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The Dallas Cowboys are heading into their fourth draft under head coach Jason Garrett. SportsDay's David Moore breaks down his previous three classes, offering insight on starters, key contributors and guys that have a chance to start.

Jason Garrett constantly talks about finding the right kind of people.

Talent is just part of the equation. He seeks players who possess a blend of ability, temperament and passion that goes beyond what can be measured by the 40 or in the weight room.

Garrett believes it takes three years to get “your roster right in terms of who you are playing, the guys who are the building blocks of the future.’’ As he prepares to preside over his fourth draft as head coach, how many building blocks has he put in place for the Cowboys?

The club has drafted 22 players during Garrett’s tenure as head coach. Nearly three-fourths of those picks remain on the roster. Six are starters, and several more will compete for starting jobs this season. Left tackle Tyron Smith and running back DeMarco Murray have been to the Pro Bowl.

Quick quiz: How many players on this roster were drafted under Wade Phillips and Bill Parcells?

Five.

If you are looking for more ammunition to argue the Cowboys do a poor job in the draft, that number is it. But it also speaks to something else.

Garrett has had ample time to put his team in place. He’s been able to select the players who fit his profile. With 11 picks in next month’s draft, he must find enough building blocks to raise the Cowboys out of the bog of 8-8.

“You're always trying to bring the right kinds of people into your organization,’’ Garrett said. “In our business, you want to make sure they have the talent to be able to do their job the way we want them to do their job, regardless of position.

“We spend a lot of time on guys we think can be first-, second- and third-round picks. You also spend a lot of time on the mid-round guys and the late-round guys.

“You can’t be afraid to want to coach guys. You don’t necessarily want finished products, but you want guys who have traits as a player and as a person who you feel can develop and find a role on your team.’’

Four of the six starters drafted on Garrett’s watch play offense. Return specialist Dwayne Harris is also part of Garrett’s haul. Cornerback Morris Claiborne and linebacker Bruce Carter are the only defensive starters drafted in the last three years, and Claiborne lost his job to Orlando Scandrick for several games last season.

Defense is the obvious emphasis in this draft.

“We’ll help our defense in the draft,’’ owner Jerry Jones said. “There’s no question about that.’’

Jones vows the Cowboys will draft at least one defensive lineman who can step in and play immediately. The parade of defensive linemen who visited Valley Ranch in recent days — Pittsburgh’s Aaron Donald, Florida State’s Timmy Jernigan, Missouri’s Kony Ealy, Oregon State’s Scott Crichton, Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence, West Virginia’s Will Clarke, California’s Deandre Coleman and Texas’ Chris Whaley, along with UCLA’s Anthony Barr, a linebacker — are projected to go throughout the draft. It’s a strong indication the club will select more than one player to plug into the defensive front.

A crying need to rebuild the offensive line faced Garrett in his first draft as head coach. The Cowboys used a first-round pick and two other selections on offensive linemen in that draft. It’s reasonable to expect the same approach will be used with the defensive line in less than three weeks.

Jones concedes that the Cowboys are “in better shape to compete’’ on offense than defense. One player to contribute immediately won’t cut it. This team needs a defensive haul like it had in 2005, when it landed DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Kevin Burnett, Chris Canty and Jay Ratliff.

The right kind of people Garrett talks about are in place, by and large, on offense. He must do the same on the defensive side of the ball.

“So much of this is trying to get to know a player, and there are a lot of different ways to do that,’’ Garrett said. “Combine interviews, Senior Bowl interviews, watch them practice, watch them work out, spend some individual time with them and see what the guy is all about. ...

“My experience has been when the guys have the right intangibles, they typically are able to fulfill their potential. There are plenty of examples that we all have throughout our careers of guys who had the right stuff inside of them that allowed them to be the great players that they were. So we got to get to know the player and see what they are all about and what's meaningful to them.’’

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